"The TRUTH will set you FREE"
Today's Mass Readings
It seems like today’s gospel passage (Jn 8:31-42) is addressed to a group of people that consisted of both believers and non-believers. Thus v. 31 says, “Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” We do not know how strongly the ones who believed in him did so, but there seems to be some trust in Jesus’ words. And then there were those who refused to believe and according to 8:37 were trying to kill Jesus. For the ones who believed Jesus provides the measure for faith in v. 32: a) remain in my word and b) be my disciples. Jesus’ expectation from those who believe is very clear – it entails commitment to both the words and the person of Jesus. One without the other is only partial or weak faith. We get a glimpse of this kind of faith in today’s first reading (Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95) Daniel’s companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fire for refusing to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s god. In this particular case, God rescued the three faithful believers. But the Church remembers the hundreds of thousands of martyrs in the early Christian Church and later who did in fact die for their faith in Christ. The faith that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the martyrs exhibit is the kind of “truth” that Jesus says will “set you free” (Jn 8:32).
“Truth,” here in this passage is closely connected to the person of Jesus – his words and his being. This is the saving truth. Thus, if we can “remain in Jesus’ word,” (live according to Jesus teachings in the scriptures) and “truly be Jesus’ disciples,” (identify with Jesus) with the same faith as that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the martyrs, then we are “free.” Freedom here means that we no longer have to search for salvation; We already have achieved it through our faith and through the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross.
Isn’t this what Lent is all about? If all our Lenten penances do not lead us to the “truth” then we have wasted another year. We might as well be counted among those who did not believe in Jesus. Today, as believers, let us make a conscious decision to both “remain in His word,” and “truly be His disciples.” And may this “truth set us free.”